Photography Goals for the New Year
Isaiah Burch
Like everybody else, I’m one of those ambitious individuals who looks forward to the New Year with the hope of accomplishing some major goals and ambitions, like writing that book, or perhaps learning a new skill, starting a business, or even scratching off some items from the old bucket list.
To say that 2020 was a bad year may not only sound repetitive right about now, but like a bokeh record, so I won’t go there. But when it comes to my latest photography journey that I started to embark on a few years back, things didn’t quite go as planned in 2020, from the To-do list. This world wide pandemic put a damper on my travel plans, as well as the allure of just going outside and not only being in public venues where I could photograph different people, places and events, but just to be around people in general an issue.
Sure – I made do the best I could from staying home – as thankfully, we still have the internet, which allowed me to read up on photography through different forums, blogs, and online sites where I could learn and practice my skills. But the one thing that I didn’t do was get discouraged. Though many of my short and long term goals may have been put on hold while we were all observing this ‘social distancing’ concept (which I’m hoping will not become any NEW norm) – I still believe that it’s important to refine your goals and stay the course.
With 2021 now upon us, I can only hope and pray that this will be a better year and enter it with a bit of optimism that we can return to some form of normalcy. And perhaps even pick up where I left off with some of my goals for the New Year.
What are some good Photography Goals to put on your list for 2021?
Practicing
A strange thing happened sometime last year – for several weeks, while staying home and social distancing the few times that I went out of my house, I noticed that I hadn’t really touched my camera. Or even take any shots with my cell phone. It’s so easy to get in a rut and let your skills grow cold, especially during a time like this. I think practicing it the key to staying sharp in any area, whether it’s photography, learning a new language, instrument, or any other skill. Just pull your camera out and start shooting – it could be anything for that matter. A bad shot. A good shot. ANY shot will do. Cell phone or DSLR, it doesn’t matter. You never know where your next idea, inspiration, or source of creativity will come from.
Shoot in Auto Mode
I know there will be some who disagree with me on this. But I’m not saying you should always shoot in Auto Mode. I personally use Manual Mode as much as possible, as it challenges me to make the right adjustments on my camera. But it doesn’t hurt to switch to Auto mode and just shoot whatever catches your eye in that moment, being spontaneous without worrying about your settings.
Learn Adobe Photoshop
I’ve always been a huge fan and hobbyist in Adobe Photoshop, ever since I started playing around with Photoshop CS6 back in the day. And learning photography, along with Graphic Design, has only helped me in sharpening my photo editing and manipulating skills with everything from correcting exposure, removing blemishes to applying the right touch up of sharpness and filters for whatever my current need may be. Photoshop is definitely an added tool that you want to keep in your arsenal as a photographer.
Drone Photography
This is one of the fastest growing trends in photography in recent years, as it allows you to take the most stunning images and videos from a wide array of aerial perspectives and get some amazing shots that you wouldn’t be able to capture otherwise. Now although there are a few hurdles here, like investing in the right drone, taking the lessons, getting your license, learning the rules and regulations for flying, etc. – in the long run, this is still a quality investment and one that I’ve added to my bucket list as well.
Online Courses
Why not take advantage of your present situation by learning some new photography skills from your own laptop? Nowadays, there are hundreds of valuable resources online available for everyone, whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or a professional. While my first exposure to Photography was as a pat of my online courses for my Graphic Design degree, I still occasionally watch valuable tutorials, videos and course from sites such as YouTube, Skillshare, udemy and others – most of these offering valuable content at reasonably low prices, where you can learn at your own pace. You can’t beat that!
Join a Meetup
This is another task on my to-do list as well, as I had to put this on hold temporarily when the shutdowns started. But there’s a lot of value in joining any type of meetups, as it puts you in good company with others who share a similar skill, hobby or passion that brings the group together. I personally was really looking forward to meeting up for some street photography and other forms of exposure, but due to the social distancing that took place this year, it really limited everything to meeting up online through Zoom. But I’m really optimistic that it won’t be long until we’re able to slowly start gathering together again – which I’m really looking forward to!
Have you made any New Years Goals for the new year? Do you find any of these suggestions helpful? What goals do you have entering the New Year?
Thanks!
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